Prevention of wound sepsis in severe extremity wounds, especially compound fractures, depends on initial adequate wound care consisting of scrupulous wide cleaning of the extremity, and meticulous debridement of devitalized tissue and extensive wound lavage. In order to carry out such wound treatment it is necessary to place the wound in a sterile field. Moreover it is highly desirable to position and support the wound and extremity in a convenient location, a location where the surgeon and others rendering surgical care can easily and conveniently reach the area of concern. Still further it is desirable to manage the used dirty wound cleaning solution after the same has been used to clean and sterilize the wound.
Presently there does not appear to be a commercially available apparatus or table especially designed to be used in conjunction with an operating table for receiving and holding a wounded extremity and positioning the wounded extremity in a sterile field. Thus the surgeon and his staff have had to use whatever apparatus or table type structure is available, and then to adapt such as best as possible to yield a sterile field and to position the wounded extremity in a position where the same can be treated.